tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Defining the educational needs for a community-based hematology/oncology career: A national needs assessment.
Authors: Shubham Agrawal, Rushad Patell, Laura E. Dodge, Jennifer W Pegher, Robert L. Coleman, David Michael Waterhouse, Daniel Aaron Roberts, Deepa Rangachari
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2023)

11011 Background: Fellowship training is largely rooted in academic medical centers, though many graduates will ultimately pursue careers in community-based settings. We initiated a national survey of hematologists/oncologists practicing in community or academic-community hybrid settings to understand providers’ educational needs. We hypothesized that the current model of fellowship training is not optimized for those pursuing community-based hematology/oncology careers. Methods: An electronic questionnaire was developed surveying current attitudes and practices of community-based hematologists/oncologists. Survey participants from across the United States were contacted via professional organizations. We primarily assessed whether survey participants received any specific training during fellowship for community-based practice. Participants were also surveyed regarding whether such training may have affected their preparation. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using modified Poisson regression with robust error variance adjusted for: time in clinical practice ( &lt; 10 years), size of graduating fellowship training program ( &gt; 5), board certification (hematology and oncology vs. either), and training program geographic location (by region) to identify factors associated with receiving community oncology-specific training. Results: Of the preliminary cohort of 120 participants from across 25 states, 66% were male, 69% identified as White, and 69% had been in practice for &gt; 10 years. Less than half (43.2%, binomial 95% CI 34.6%-52.2%) received any training for a career in a community-based setting. Participants identified rotations in community settings (48%), direct mentorship from community-based physicians (41%), and longitudinal clinic in a community setting (39%) as experiences that would have been valuable. Specific curricula of interest included: medical operations and administration (67%), health policy (38%), and quality improvement (30%). Respondents in clinical practice for &lt; 10 years were more likely to have received any community oncology-specific training (RR 2.02, 95% CI 1.10–3.72); other factors were not significantly associated with the primary outcome (P &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: National trends indicate a growing need for hematology/oncology graduates in community-based settings. Our study demonstrates substantial unmet needs as they relate to training fellows destined for careers in community-based practice. Prospective design of clinical training and curricula emphasizing longitudinal exposures to and key aspects of health care delivery in the community setting are paramount to achieving optimal, goal-concordant hematology and oncology training.
Reconsidering the cutoff between sensitive and refractory relapses in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer in the era of immunotherapy.
Authors: Masahiro Torasawa, Hidehito Horinouchi, Shogo Nomura, Satoshi Igawa, Maiko Asai, Hidenobu Ishii, Hiroshi Wakui, Ryota Ushio, Tetsuhiko Asao, Yukiko Namba, Ryo Koyama, Isana Katayama, Hironari Matsuda, Shinichi Sasaki, Kazuhisa Takahashi, Yukio Hosomi, Katsuhiko Naoki, Yuichiro Ohe
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2023)

8576 Background: The use of platinum-based doublet chemotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has demonstrated promising outcomes in the first-line treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Relapsed SCLC has been classified into "sensitive" or "refractory" relapse types according to cutoff values (60 or 90 days) of duration from the last chemotherapy administration to disease progression. However, it is unclear whether these cutoff values can be applied to ICI combination therapy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a multicenter database of ES-SCLC patients who received second-line therapy after the platinum-etoposide plus ICI (atezolizumab or durvalumab). An optimal cutoff value for the platinum-free interval (PFI) was selected, which minimized the two-sided p-value and maximized hazard ratio (HR) regarding relapse type (sensitive or refractory according to a cutoff value) calculated from a multivariable Cox regression model for overall survival (OS) including performance status (PS) and sex as covariates. The internal validity of the selected cutoff value was assessed via two-fold cross-validation (CV) manner. Results: A total of 101 patients (61 deaths) from 10 hospitals were included in the study. The median follow-up period was 21.1 months. The optimal cutoff value was 75 days (p=0.0002), and when applying this cutoff value, median OS was 15.9 and 5.0 months of sensitive- (n=51) and refractory- (n=50) relapsed patients, and the HR calculated from a two-fold CV was 3.13 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.66 to 5.90). Additionally, traditional cutoff values of 60 and 90 days also predicted prognosis better, but cutoff values of 110 days or longer did not (Table). Conclusions: Even in the era of combined immunotherapy in ES-SCLC patients, the threshold days for classifying as sensitive- or refractory- relapse did not exhibit a significant change compared to the pre-immunotherapy era. Although further validation studies with a larger sample size would be needed, relapse type classification using the selected cutoff value of 75 days is worth considering as a new prognostic factor for relapsed ES-SCLC patients. [Table: see text]
Impact of primary language on health inequities in multiple myeloma.
Authors: Julijana Zoran Conic, Navid Alavi, Mehar Hora, Britney Bell, Jorge Ruiz Lopez, Camille Vanessa Edwards
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2023)

e18640 Background: Limited English proficiency (LEP) has been shown to exacerbate health inequities in the US due to difficulties navigating a complex health system and assimilating complicated information regarding diagnosis, and treatment. Advances in multiple myeloma (MM) care have improved clinical outcomes but added complexity to diagnosis and treatment. However, there is limited data on whether LEP impacts health inequities in MM care. We sought to assess the impact of primary language on MM care and outcomes at our safety net hospital, serving a culturally and linguistically diverse population where patients have equal access to novel agents and autologous stem cell transplant (SCT). Methods: We retrospectively studied 213 patients with newly diagnosed MM between January 1st, 2000, and December 31st, 2021. Data were extracted from electronic medical records. Patients were classified as LEP or EP based on self-reported language at the time of diagnosis. Patients were subsequently propensity matched based on age, sex, type of insurance, Charlson comorbidity index, creatinine, LDH, year of MM diagnosis, ISS stage, presence of high-risk cytogenetics, and receipt of SCT. Type of insurance was used as a surrogate for socioeconomic status. Kaplan Meier estimate and log rank tests were used to assess overall (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). Results: Of 213 patients, 75 (35.2%) had LEP, 135 (63.4%) were black, 49 (23.0%) were white, 22 (10.3%) patients were of another race, and 7 (3.3%) did not self-identify. Mean age was 63.6 (SD ± 11.4), and 114 (53.5%) patients were male. Median follow-up of the entire cohort was 56.9 months. At baseline, there were no statistically significant differences in the covariates above between LEP and EP patients except for increased incidence of diabetes mellitus in EP patients (84.0% vs. 89.1%, p 0.02). More LEP patients were inpatients at the time of diagnosis compared to EP patients (36.0% [27/ 75] versus 23.9% [33/138]). Median number of hospitalizations and ED visits in the first 6 months of diagnosis were 4 and 3 versus 1 and 2 in LEP versus EP patients, respectively. There were no differences in adjusted PFS or OS between propensity matched LEP and EP patients. Conclusions: In our cohort, there were no significant differences in demographics, clinical parameters, socioeconomic status, or transplant utilization between LEP and EP patients, which allowed us to assess the association of primary language with any observed health inequities. In a setting where all patients have access to novel treatments, SCT, patient navigators, interpreters, and social workers, there were no differences in PFS or OS. However, language barriers may explain health inequities related to later diagnosis and increased healthcare utilization. LEP patients with MM may benefit from additional language-concordant resources to improve disparities.
Enrollment representation of age, race, and ethnicity in ovarian cancer registrational clinical trials (2010-2020): An evaluation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Authors: Felice Yang, Yue Huang, Catherine Lerro, Wei Liu, Mallorie Fiero, Zhou Feng, Bindu Kanapuru, Timil Patel, Laleh Amiri-Kordestani, Gwynn Ison, Lola A. Fashoyin-Aje, Paul Kluetz, Harpreet Singh, Donna Rivera
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2023)

e18527 Background: Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality among U.S. women. Because clinical trials have historically not been demographically representative of real-world patients, an understanding of the extent of disparities is an important step in addressing them. We aimed to evaluate the representation of older adults and racial and ethnic minorities in trials for ovarian cancer drugs. Methods: We conducted a pooled analysis of all trials that were submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2020 in support of marketing applications for epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal indications. Demographic data (age, race, and ethnicity) for adult participants were analyzed alongside incident ovarian cancer case data (diagnosis between 2010 and 2019) from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. Enrollment to Incidence Ratio (EIR) is reported and defined as the percentage of participants divided by percentage of U.S. incident ovarian cancer cases. An EIR between 0.80-1.20 indicates adequate representation; &lt;0.80 or &gt;1.20 indicates underrepresentation or overrepresentation, respectively. Participants with race or ethnicity categories reported as unknown or missing, or insufficient for calculation were not included in this analysis. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the exclusion of trials enrolling only BRCA+ participants. Results: The analysis included 8,211 participants enrolled across 15 clinical trials. Age was available for all participants; race/ethnicity was not reported for 16.3% of participants. With increasing age, EIR decreased (Table). Non-Hispanic (NH) White participants had the highest EIR of all racial/ethnic groups, while NH Black and Hispanic participants had the lowest EIR. Results were similar when excluding trials enrolling only BRCA+ participants. Conclusions: Adults aged ≥75, NH Black, and Hispanic participants were underrepresented in registrational trials for new ovarian cancer therapies. To enhance understanding of the correlation between age, race, and ethnicity, further analyses are necessary. Prospective measures are essential, as discussed in recent FDA guidances, to enroll an adequately representative population in ovarian cancer clinical trials.[Table: see text]
The impact of adverse financial events on healthcare utilization and treatment costs at the end of life.
Authors: Chipo Natasha Kwendakwema, Li Li, Kaiyue Yu, Hiba Khan, Shannon Kestner, Catherine R. Fedorenko, Karma L. Kreizenbeck, Scott David Ramsey, Veena Shankaran
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2023)

6517 Background: Patients with cancer are at higher risk of bankruptcy and other adverse financial events (AFEs) compared to similar individuals without cancer. However, little is known about how AFEs affect cancer care, particularly at the end of life (EOL). We investigated the association between AFEs, healthcare utilization, and healthcare costs at the EOL among patients with cancer. Methods: Western Washington Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry cases were linked to credit records from TransUnion and to claims from commercial payers and Medicare. Patients with AJCC Stage I-IV solid tumors who died between January 2013 and December 2019 and who had continuous enrollment in commercial or Medicare insurance for the 6 months prior to death were included. Emergency department (ED) and inpatient (IP) visits in the last 3 months of life, place of death, and mean healthcare costs per patient (paid by insurer) were compared between patients with versus without AFEs (charge-offs, third-party collections, tax liens, delinquent mortgage payments, foreclosures, or repossessions). A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between AFEs, ED or IP visits (&gt;1 of either), and inpatient death, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, payer type, and cancer stage. Two-sample t tests were used to compare mean per-patient costs in the last 6 and 3 months of life among patients with versus without an AFE. Results: A total of 13,545 patients (median age 75, 54% male) were included, of which 15.6% experienced an AFE. Patients with AFEs were more likely to have multiple ED or IP visits (OR 1.19, CI 1.07-1.34) and die in a hospital (OR 1.37, CI 1.22-1.55) (Table). Younger age, higher Carlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and being partnered were also associated with greater EOL healthcare utilization while race, sex, payer type, and cancer stage were not. Mean total healthcare costs were higher in patients with AFEs than those without in the last 6 months ($66,232, vs. $55,831, p&lt;0.0001) and 3 months ($39,664 vs. $33,638, p&lt;0.0001) of life. Conclusions: We demonstrated an independent association between AFEs as measured in credit records, increased EOL healthcare utilization, and greater per-patient costs in the months before death. These findings suggest that addressing patient financial hardship could improve their EOL experience and decrease healthcare costs. [Table: see text]
Comparing the role of different treatment modalities in locoregionally advanced olfactory neuroblastoma: The 20-year clinical experience of a single institution.
Authors: Yue Chai, Yu-Ce Wei, Di Zhang, Mei Dong
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2023)

e18055 Background: There are few studies on different treatment modalities, especially systemic chemotherapy (CT) for locoregionally advanced olfactory neuroblastoma (LA ONB) with only a few small-sample studies reported. We retrospectively analyzed the treatment patterns and explored the factors affecting the prognosis of patients with LA ONB at our center over the past 20 years in the present study. Methods: LA ONB patients from 2000 to 2020 at our center were collected retrospectively. The entire cohort was divided into combined systemic and local therapy (CSLT) vs. local therapy (LT) groups (grouping method 1), and the same cohort was divided into neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) vs. non-NAC groups (grouping method 2). CSLT group included patients treated with CT + LT. LT group included patients treated with surgery (SG), radiotherapy (RT), concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), or any combination of the above methods. LT group was further divided into mono-modality local therapy (MOLT) group and multi-modality local therapy (MULT) group. MOLT group included patients treated with RT alone or SG alone. MULT group included patients treated with SG + RT/CCRT, or CCRT alone. NAC group included patients treated with NAC + LT ± adjuvant chemotherapy (ADC). Non-NAC group included patients who received LT ± ADC. Results: A total of 111 patients with LA ONB were included. The median age was 40 (range, 10–82) years old. The median follow-up duration for the entire cohort was 80.2 (range, 2.1-254.9) months, while 88.5 (range, 4.0-240.7) months for the CSLT group, 77.2 (range, 2.1-254.9) months for the LT group, 86.0 (range, 4.0-240.7) months for the NAC group, and 78.7 (range, 2.1-254.9) months for the non-NAC group. Thirty-five patients (31.5%) died, among which 30 patients died of tumor progression, 3 patients died of other diseases, and 2 patients’ causes of death were not available. The estimated 5-year overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates for the entire cohort (n = 111) were 70.2%, 53.1%, 73.6%, and 74.1%, respectively. The estimated 10-year OS, PFS, LRFS, and DMFS rates were 61.3%, 37.7%, 60.1%, and 68.0%, respectively. In univariate analysis, patients treated with NAC (n = 43) had significantly better overall survival (OS) compared with those without NAC (n = 68) ( P = 0.041). Patients in MULT group (n = 45) had significantly improved OS ( P = 0.004) and PFS ( P = 0.003) compared with those in MOLT group (n = 15). Multivariate analysis identified NAC and CSLT (n = 51) were independent prognostic factors for superior OS ( P = 0.020; P = 0.046). Conclusions: Our study suggested that CSLT, especially a combination of NAC and LT, improved the survival of patients with LA ONB. Multiple treatment modalities yielded better PFS and OS compared to single modality treatment.
Evaluation of the psychological state of patients suspected of Lynch syndrome after the germline genetic testing result.
Authors: Francisca Fernanda Barbosa Oliveira, Rosane Oliveira Sant'Ana, Clarissa Gondim Picanço-Albuquerque, Maria Claudia dos Santos Luciano, Jose Fernando Bastos, Flávio da Silveira Bitencourt, Maria Júlia Barbosa Bezerra, Thuany Pinto Rocha de Souza, Paulo Goberlanio de Barros Silva, Karisa Lorena Freitas, Isabelle Joyce de Lima Silva-Fernandes
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2023)

e24201 Background: Lynch syndrome (LS) also known as Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC) syndrome, is caused by a deficiency of Mismatch Repair Complex (MMR) enzymes. It is an autosomal dominant syndrome associated with an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer and other neoplasms, which can be confirmed using a germline molecular test. Psychological distress can be triggered regardless of the genetic test result. How the individual reacts emotionally and psychologically to the development can influence the processing of information and guidelines and adherence to preventive strategies. In this context, tracking anxiety symptoms provides opportunities for psychosocial follow-up planning. Objective: to evaluate levels of anxiety and depression in cancer patients suspected of having LS submitted to genetic testing. Methods: 84 patients with clinical criteria for LS were submitted to the germline genetic panel by NGS and immediately after the genetic test result, answered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS). Data were expressed as mean±SD and compared using the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn, and Spearman correlation tests (SPSS v20.0, p &lt; 0.05). Results: The mean levels of anxiety (5.59±3.31) were significantly higher than that of depression (4.63±3.58) ( p= 0.007), both domains were positively correlated ( p&lt; 0.001, r= 0.447). Eighteen patients (21.4%) had pathogenic mutations in genes of the MMR complex. A positive diagnosis did not affect levels of anxiety or depression (pathogenic variant p= 0.617 and p= 0.478; Significance Uncertain-VUS p= 0.415 and p= 0.561, respectively). Females had higher levels of depression than males ( p= 0.047, with a relative risk of 1.65 times; CI95% = 1.05-13.19); however, other clinical and therapeutic characteristics did not significantly influence anxiety levels or depression. Conclusions: Colorectal cancer women are most sensitive to depression after germline genetic testing, despite the results. These findings reinforce the need for psychological screening of individuals undergoing genetic testing for LS and continuing psychological follow-up after receiving the genetic test.
Predictors of cancer center-based follow-up among pediatric and adolescent/young adult cancer survivors.
Authors: Emily Pang, Stephanie M. Smith, Olga Saynina, Lidia Schapira, Lisa J. Chamberlain
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2023)

10055 Background: Though guidelines recommend lifelong follow-up for pediatric and adolescent/young adult (AYA) cancer survivors, this has been challenging to implement in clinical practice. We constructed an institutional cohort of pediatric/AYA cancer survivors in order to evaluate follow-up patterns and identify predictors of cancer center-based follow-up. We hypothesized that follow-up would be lower for patients with greater individual- and area-level socioeconomic disadvantage and longer time since treatment. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used EHR data at an academic medical center. We included all patients who completed cancer treatment between 2010-2019 and were aged 0-29 years at last treatment date. Treatment was defined by diagnosis/procedure codes and medication records for chemotherapy, radiation, stem cell transplant, and cancer surgery. The primary outcome of cancer center-based follow-up was defined by clinic visits in an oncology department through 12/31/2022. Patients who died were excluded after the date of death. Multivariate logistic regression models (overall, age 0-19, age 20-29) evaluated the association of follow-up with age, sex, race/ethnicity, treatment intensity, insurance type, primary language, distance to cancer center, and area deprivation index (ADI, a composite measure of socioeconomic disadvantage). Results: 2210 patients were included with an overall rate of cancer center-based follow-up that decreased from 94% 1 year after treatment to 61% at 2-3 years, 45% at 4-5 years, and 35% at 6-7 years. Follow-up was not significantly associated with race/ethnicity, insurance type, primary language, or ADI for overall or age-specific cohorts. Patients &gt;100 miles away had lower odds of follow-up. Increasing age was associated with decreased odds of follow-up, and this trend persisted over time since treatment (Table). Conclusions: Patterns of decreased pediatric/AYA cancer survivor follow-up were largely predicted by age and time since treatment. Further work is ongoing to understand drivers of follow-up disparities, including transfers of care and insurance type among AYA patients and the role of community support and telemedicine in healthcare access and health promotion. [Table: see text]